Gettin it out the mud??....Roots Picnic

The city is known for its grit and grind—that’s part of our je ne sais quoi. But when “getting it out the mud” turns literal, that’s when the chaos kicks in.

This weekend kicked off The Roots’ annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia, marking its 15th year—and even though I’m a Philly native, this was my very first time attending.

It’s been on my bucket list for quite some time, and when the opportunity finally came, I knew I had to go. Even better? I got to bring my 13-year-old daughter along to experience her very first concert and festival.

Our experience started off enjoyable—going back to my old neighborhood in West Philly to park my car, since we planned to take SEPTA to avoid traffic jams and parking mishaps. We hopped on the 15 trolley to 41st and Girard and walked about 15 minutes to Belmont Ave, where the festival was being held at the Mann Music Center.

Once we arrived, there was a long line to enter the venue—but that was to be expected, so no complaints there. While we waited, we met a lovely couple from Miami and chatted about the beauty of West Philly, especially the vibe in that area.

But chile... from that point on is where shit hit the fan. Let’s get into it.

• Late Entrance: Doors were scheduled to open at 1 PM. I arrived a little after one and ended up standing in line for three hours before I was fully inside the venue.

  After the first hour of waiting, The Roots Picnic Instagram account posted that the delay was due to weather from the prior days, which had made the festival grounds a hazard. They said they were working to make it safe before letting people in.

  But there were other rumors. Remember the couple I mentioned earlier? They knew someone working the festival, and according to them, there were additional circumstances causing the delay—stuff they “couldn’t talk about yet.”

• Crowd Control: When I first arrived, the line was pretty well contained. But after about an hour, it got completely unruly. Patrons began rushing the line from every direction, squeezing into any space they could find. It became overcrowded and uncomfortable—people were literally on top of each other.

  There was no real crowd control—no gates to keep the lines organized or moving, and barely any staff managing the situation. I even overheard an event staff member say that the festival coordinators were being cheap and didn’t hire enough people to handle the crowd.

  
  

• Not having appropriate staff to control the lines was not only frustrating—it was concerning. Especially considering there had just been an incident in Fairmount Park the weekend prior. Crowds come with emotion. And when people have been standing for hours, that emotion turns into attitude, attitude turns into slick comments, and slick comments turn into fights—which, unfortunately, can lead to regrettable situations.

• The Mud: Baby—the mud was everywhere! If you came trying to be cute, I’m sorry to your sneakers… and in some cases, your heels. Because chile, by the time you were through, just go ahead and toss whatever was on your feet.

  
  

  With this being The Roots' 15th year doing a rain-or-shine festival, the level of preparedness should’ve been at an all-time high. I know the festival is literally in a park, but there has got to be a way to cover at least some of the high-traffic areas—with straw, wood chips, gravel, pine flakes… something.

  I’m gonna need y’all to go back to the drawin’ board for next year.

• Venue: Now this needs to be a serious discussion at y’all’s roundtable for next year’s festivities. There has to be a better location to host the Roots Picnic, especially if it’s going to continue being rain or shine.

  There are a few possibilities that I personally think could accommodate the festival just fine: The Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Convention Center, the South Philly Sports Complex, Penn’s Landing… something.

  Because listen, it was the mud that did it for me. And something’s gotta give.

  
  

Okay, okay, I know I’ve been complaining this whole time, but hear me out. There were definitely pockets of enjoyment throughout the day.

Getting to experience a concert with my daughter for the first time, while thuggin’ it out in this bipolar weather, was special in itself. We hit the interactive stands, ate some good food, sang, danced, and genuinely vibed out. We made the most of it.

I’m proud of the city for showing up despite the conditions and doing it without any major fights or violence. Let’s keep that same energy for Day 2.

Now I want to hear from y’all. What was your favorite part? Would you go back again? What are your suggestions for a better flowing festival?

Drop your thoughts below. 👇🏾🖤🎶#rootspicnic